Peer Support Specialist (Bilingual Spanish)

TITLE: Peer Support Specialist

JOB STATUS: Full-time (40 hours per week); non-exempt

PAY RANGE: $30.29 hourly

BENEFITS:

• 100% Employer Paid Medical: Kaiser HMO or Blue Shield PPO
• 100% Dental, vision, life & long-term disability coverage; EAP
• Over 30+ days of PTO, including 10 vacation days (baseline), 12 sick days, personal days, and major holidays
• Health and Dependent Care FSA, Commuter Check, and 403(b) available
• Ongoing access to MHASF continuing education and skill-building workshops-all training time paid

HOURS: 10 am - 6 pm, Monday - Friday

Some schedule flexibility may be required for urgent situations

REPORTS TO: Peer Support and Wellness Manager

ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF SAN FRANCISCO (MHASF)

MHASF is a mental health peer-run nonprofit in downtown San Francisco that has been serving people and agencies across the Bay Area since 1947. As mental health consumers, we center the lived expertise of people with mental health challenges in our advocacy, education, and support programs. We believe that dignity and recovery in mental health are something everyone can experience. Our staff is dedicated to creating spaces for learning and healing around stigmatized and under-resourced areas in mental health-hoarding and cluttering behavior, peer employment support, wellness & nutrition, community-based crisis response, service navigation, and more. MHASF strongly encourages people with lived experience of mental health challenges to apply and grow with us!

OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM & POSITION

The Peer Support & Wellness Program provides access to resources for mental health, housing, substance use, and other key community support services in San Francisco with an overall goal of reducing mental health crises and hospitalizations. The Support & Wellness Program connects San Francisco residents to Peer Support and counseling from trained individuals with lived experience of mental health conditions and recovery. In-person, field-based case management support is also provided to program participants.

The Peer Support Specialist provides live support and resources to participants, family members, and other individuals experiencing distress in San Francisco via 1:1 face-to-face, phone, chat, text, and web-based technology. We're seeking someone with a combination of Peer Support skills, case management experience, and an understanding of the profound importance of peer-to-peer connections for emotional wellness. If you're enthusiastic about peer-run mental health services and want to make a broader impact on services through peer counseling, you may be the person we're looking for. Peer Support Specialists use their own lived experience of substance use and mental health to develop authentic connections and belief in the reality of hope. This position is Spanish Bilingual and supports the Latinx and Spanish-Speaking communities.

Top Three Responsibilities

1. Provide high-quality 1:1 and group peer-to-Peer Support and field-based case management

2. Support individuals in reaching their wellness-focused goals

3. Serve as an advocate for program participants and a model for mental health recovery

Peer Support & Case Management

• Use personal lived experience with substance use and mental health conditions to engage with participants
• Serve as a role model and self-disclose lived experience background to participants as appropriate to establish trust
• Provide information and assist participants with access to community services and resources
• Communicate with physicians, psychiatrists, and therapists as well as other service providers as needed
• Assist with crisis intervention and provide targeted case management, advocacy, service navigation, and other supports
• Provide on-going follow-up contact to ensure participants are connected to appropriate supports and provide additional assistance when needed
• Help ensure that services are sensitive to the cultural context and personal history of each participant and their support system; provide services in community-based settings
• Ensure that participants and family members are involved to the greatest extent possible in decisions affecting services and treatment
• Promote collaboration among support systems, mental health providers, healthcare providers, justice system personnel, school personnel, and other agencies
• Provide group support, in-person and via Zoom, to program participants
• Accompany and advocate for participants at their appointments providing emotional support

Record-Keeping, Training, & Participation

• Attend supervision, staff meetings, and trainings at both MHASF
• Maintain detailed records of services provided and ensure participant record confidentiality
• Ensure records contain all data necessary in reporting to the State Department of Mental Health
• Ensure records conform to Medi-Cal and HIPAA requirements and standards

The Peer Support Specialist also supports broader MHASF initiatives and is responsible for other duties as assigned. The above job responsibilities are meant to be representative, not a comprehensive job description, and are subject to change depending on the needs of the program and MHASF.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Personal lived experience with mental health and/or substance use challenges
• Proof of COVID-19 vaccine. (The position is field-based work in San Francisco County)
• Spanish Bilingual - Fluency in speaking, reading, and writing
• Minimum 2 years of experience as a peer counselor, peer specialist, or similar (either paid or volunteer), ideally within a nonprofit setting
• Behavioral health knowledge, including familiarity with psychiatric diagnoses, psychiatric symptoms and associated behavior, psychiatric medications, and substance use issues
• Ability to respond effectively to conflicts and strong emotions; crisis support or call center background is very helpful for this role
• Familiarity with community resources in San Francisco
• Experience maintaining confidentiality of sensitive information & understanding of confidentiality practices
• Familiarity with the mental health recovery movement, Peer Support model, & local resources
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, use of tele-health platforms such as Zoom, and data entry
• High level of organization and time management with an ability to focus and prioritize in stressful situations
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to write effective case notes
• Highly collaborative work style and ability to work effectively within a team to identify and accomplish goals
• Ability to problem-solve with little to no guidance and to exercise independent judgment under stress
• Willingness to learn from others, take feedback, and make adjustments to communication and behavior
• Experience taking initiative to self-educate about unfamiliar subjects or concepts
• Affirmative and accepting approach toward people whose needs and experiences differ from your own
• Commitment to upholding the mission and values of MHASF